Schmeelk: Final NBA Mock Draft — And With The Fourth Pick, The Knicks Select...
By John Schmeelk
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Draft night is finally here. Knicks fans went through the worst regular season in team history, and this is the payoff. Of course, they only get to pick fourth thanks to the ping-pong balls.
(Seriously, fourth. I mean, come on. The worst season in franchise history and you pick fourth! This organization can't catch a break. And by the way, good job winning three out of five towards the end of the season. Nobody needed Karl-Anthony Towns or anything. Ahem, pardon me.)
This is the most critical night this organization has had or will have in quite some time. Phil Jackson needs to get this right and find the Knicks an impact player who can be a foundation player for the future. You can't miss. No pressure, though.
I've given you my big board. I've given you the potential scenarios for the Knicks at four. Those are my opinions. Now I will give you my predictions, many of which will probably be horribly wrong. I'm not going to predict any trades, rather predict the player I think will get taken at each spot. I'll also include any note of interest for the Knicks. Here's my prediction of the top 14 picks in the draft.
- Minnesota Timberwolves : KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS
Towns replaced Jahlil Okafor as the top player in the draft in February and hasn't looked back. He has the ability to develop into a complete, well-rounded big man that the league hasn't seen in a long time. Despite early flirtations with Okafor, Flip makes the only pick he can: Towns.
- Los Angeles Lakers: D'ANGELO RUSSELL
The NBA is an unfair cycle of the Lakers falling ass-backwards into great players, so they'll probably figure out a way to get DeMarcus Cousins with this pick. If the Kings draft here, many think Russell is the perfect George Karl guard. Even if the Lakers keep the pick, I'm guessing Russell. If they were that sold on Okafor, they wouldn't be so anxious to move the pick.
(This is when Knicks fans start to hope. Maybe, just maybe, Okafor falls to them. The buzz at Barclays begins to grow as the Sixers go on the clock, and Knicks fans think that perhaps their luck has finally turned. Hint: It's the Knicks.)
- Philadelphia 76ers: JAHLIL OKAFOR
Despite all the whispers about Kristaps Porzingis and Emmanuel Mudiay, Sam Hinkie and the Sixers do something boring and dull: They pick Okafor. With the foot of Joel Embiid a medical red flag, Okafor is a good fit next to Nerlens Noel at power forward. I know people are sour on Okafor because of his free-throw shooting and defense, but I think he can improve on both and be a dominant post player. He can be good enough on defense to not be a complete liability.
(Do you know why I set up the mock draft this way? It would be the most painful for Knicks fans that are praying Okafor drops to them. The same they missed on Steph Curry by a pick, they will miss out on Okafor. The Knicks are the Knicks, and this is the most Knickish thing that could happen to them. Sorry, this isn't what I want to happen. I just think it will.)
- New York Knicks: MARIO HEZONJA
I've been all over the place on this pick, but I settled on Hezonja on Wednesday night. When Jackson spoke on MSG on Wednesday night, he said several things that indicated to me the Knicks were looking at an international player. Some might think it is Porzingis, but Jackson pointed out specifically that they interviewed one player over Skype because he was still playing in a tournament. That must be Hezonja. Until Wednesday, when Draft Express linked the Knicks to him, he was the one guy not mentioned in connection to the Knicks. It would just be fitting if he ended up being the guy, plus he isn't going to be in the building and Knicks fans will boo like crazy. It's perfect.
Hezonja is supremely talented offensively, plays in the best European league and will step in and help the Knicks right away. He is a great athlete who can do it all offensively and defend well when he is engaged. His confidence (cockiness?) rubs some people the wrong way, but others think it is a positive. More troubling is his bad shot selection, unwillingness to pass at times and some bonehead plays on the court. You will groan at bad shot selection, I promise.
At 6-foot-8 he would be the Knicks' starter at small forward next year, moving Melo to the four. He should be able to adjust to the triangle fairly well given how much he moved around screens and cut off the ball in Europe last year. He is known to idolize Kobe Bryant, and some think he has a similar drive, work ethic and attitude.
Just to scare people, ESPN's Chad Ford compared him to "the good J.R. Smith." I see the comparison in some of his shot selection -- specifically the step-back jumper -- but not much else.
This would be an excellent pick for the Knicks that I would be very happy with, as I had Hezonja at number five on my big board behind the top three guys taken and Justise Winslow. The Knicks scout Europe well (Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, Kostas Papanikolaou) and I trust them on their evaluation of Hezonja. If it turns out to be Porzingis, Mudiay or Winslow, that's fine too.
- Orlando Magic: KRISTAPS PORZINGIS
The Magic get their guy without having to trade up for him. Porzingis is already a good shooter and decent rim protector at 19 years old. He stands at 7-foot-1 in socks, and has the potential to be the best player in the draft in 10 years.
- Sacramento Kings: EMMANUEL MUDIAY
Karl wants a point guard, and he gets one with Mudiay. If the Lakers are picking here, I'm not sure what they do. It will either be Mudiay, Hezonja or Winslow. The wild card is if the Lakers reach for a big in Myles Turner.
- Denver Nuggets: JUSTISE WINSLOW
To me he is clearly the next best player on the board, and the Nuggets should be thrilled to get a defensive-minded, tough, glue player in Winslow at 7.
- Detroit Pistons: DEVIN BOOKER
I hate this spot for the Pistons because I think the next best group of players are big men, and they have Andre Drummond. The Pistons need perimeter scoring, so they take perhaps the best shooter in the draft. Booker can hit the three, is a better athlete than people think, is 6-foot-6 and will help stretch the floor right away. I think Stanley Johnson is the better player, but he doesn't fit their biggest need.
- Charlotte Hornets: WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN
The Hornets are annoyed. They wanted Booker, and they need perimeter scoring (though not as much after getting Nicolas Batum from Portland) that is no longer available. Instead they take the best player available, and the best and most versatile defender in the draft. He will fit nicely next to Al Jefferson. Look out for this team defensively with WCS and Michael Kidd-Gilchriist. Hyphens for everyone!
- Miami Heat: STANLEY JOHNSON
With Luol Deng likely departing, Johnson will step in right away and be the same force defensively, even if his offense needs some work.
- Indiana Pacers: MYLES TURNER
Roy Hibbert has one year left on his contract and David West is a free agent, so they need to replenish the frontcourt. And who better to pick than the guy left on the board with the most upside?Turner, though lacking great athleticism, can shoot it from deep.
- Utah Jazz: TREY LYLES
The Jazz are building a nice little team, but could use a little perimeter scoring from the frontcourt. I thought about Frank Kaminsky here, but I think the Jazz go with Lyles, who is a more versatile player at forward.
- Phoenix Suns: FRANK KAMINSKY
The Suns catch a break, as the best player in college hoops is still on the board here. He is a perfect stretch big for them to open it up for their talented guards.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: CAMERON PAYNE
The Thunder need some help behind Russell Westbrook, and Payne provides just that. He could also play shooting guard in a pinch if needed there. Payne is an excellent value pick here.
That's my mock draft for picks 1-14. I'll be chatting on CBS Local Sports on Thursday starting at 6:30 p.m., and will continue throughout the entire first round of the draft. I might be cranky depending on what the Knicks do. Very, very cranky. Or, I could be happy. Then again, this is the Knicks we are talking about.
Final Knicks notes:
- Don't trade down, don't trade down, don't trade down, don't trade down, don't trade down.
- Don't trade down.
